Shaft coupling



R. H. SHENK SHAFT COUPLING jul 4, 1950 Filed April 20, 1945 INVENTOR.

ROBERT H. SHENK BY 6W l- ATTORNEYS Patented July 4, 1950 "SHAFT COUPLING \Robert H; -Flexible Shen k, Erie, Pa., assignon to American .Coupling Company, Erie, Pa., .a, corjporatiiin' ofP'ennsylvania.

T Applicafibn Abril 20, 1945; Serial-N0. 589,429

J1 Claim.

This-invention.relates-tmshaft; couplings,: and more particularly -of l the general Oldham type, -i.-e., couplings-with flangemembers havingiprojecting inter-meshing jaws withaa- .centralt-space .withineandla centerzblock riding infsuchspace .andengaging the --jaws; :and: it-isamong the :ob- -jeetsof the invention to provide construction .which has .increased ---strength, .-'=-simplicity and more effective attachment of the ,partsmand is durable and-convenient .for' repairs,-etc. :Such constructionrhas greaterwutil-ityand. also requires less 'maintenance -.care. Other -?objects and advantages will appear from the followingrdescription.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends,the invention, thenycomprises the features hereinafter fully described, 'and particularly pointed out in theclaim, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrativeem'bodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of vbutza few.of .the various -ways in which the principle .of the invention may be employed.

' In thexannexed .drawing:

'Fig. 1 .is a; side .elevati'onal view, partly -in -section on a plane indicated by line II, Fig. 2, and showing an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1a is a fragmentary sectional detail;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the construction shown in Fig. 1, partly in section on a plane indicated by line 11-11, Fig. '1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of modifications;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the construction shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view analogous generally to Fig. 2 showing a modification; and

Figs. '7 and 8 are fragmentary enlarged scale sectional details of bearing strips.

In general, the device comprises coupling members having inter-meshing jaws within which a central block rides, and removable bearing strips are inserted between the periphery of the center block and the respective jaws, these bearing strips having a floating mounting and greater strength in the restraining means; and assembly of the various parts when the coupling is mounted is greatly simplified. And, thus, the shafts 2, 3, to be connected may have fixed thereon, in suitable manner, by keys or set screws or both, coupling members 4, 5, having facially projecting jaws 6, 1, in pairs to inter-mesh. And, the bearing strips 8 are arranged between the peripheral faces of the block B and the jaws. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the jaws may have two bores 9 extend- 2 ingtherethrough and being of 'adiametefito: permit insertion of a screw I0,'which may be of'a fillisterhead, cheese head,- 0r-socket= type" of head cap screw, such "screws being -screw threaded into openings in v the block, and preferably the screw heads seatdoWn into a countersunk recess l l Where desired a lock-type washer, such as a *Shakeproof "lock washer '-W, "Fig. lafma'y be inserted between the head and its receiving recess. In the bearing strip llyholes areprovided ito correspond-to the position of =the screw heads M1, and "with-"such arrangement, when the scre-wst-U- are out,-th-e bearingstrip 'fi can be slid into place longitudinally between the "center block and thecjaw-of the-coupling member,"and then th-erscrewsdfl miay be set'down'through the bores *9 and through the openings in the bearing stripyto their'flnalipositionin the countersunktecess l l. In the operation ofthe coupling, if the couplin'g i's -under mis ali'gned"conditions a slight relative movement between the a periphery of wthe block- B an'd the bearing strip -is thereby pcssible in a {plane transverse or the "bearing strip,-=and also asl-ight relative movement between the block and 'th'estrip in thetplane of' the strip due -:to-a small clearance between I the circumference of the screw head and the hole in the strip, but the strip and the block move across the faces of the jaws with the strip constrained between to compensate for mis-alignment of the shafts. This slight movement or floating of the strip tends to greatly increase the life of the strip, due to more uniform wear and transmittal of the load. Where the center block is of the type having a lubricant-containing chamber l2, the removal of any of the screws I0 permits the supply of grease or other lubricant thereto, and the screw may then be replaced.

Instead of two screws 10, with corresponding openings in the jaw and bearing strip, as shown in Fig. 3, a single screw Ma and corresponding openings 9a etc. may be applied in cases where desired.

Where it is preferred not to perforate the bearing strip, the latter may be also secured while permitting the slight movement as aforedescribed by applying end clips M, Fig. 4, these being fastened, as by screws I5, to the sides of the jaws lb, the clips extending over the ends of the bearing strip,'the latter being recessed or mitered for engagement thereof. To insert or change a bearing strip with this construction, when one of the clips is off, the bearing strip 8b may be slid endwise into position, and the clip the jaw at the bottom of a bore 91;, with the plain end of the screw -|6 seating into the open-- ing of the bearing strip 80. In this manner, it is not necessary to tap into the center block as is advantageous in these forms where there is no lubricant chamber. If the center block is of the type containing a lubricant chamber, as is also illustrated in Fig. 6, opening thereto may be provided such as to be closed by a separate screw 11 of a size to go through the reduced end of the resilient material, as Bakelite, or other plastics, or rubber composition. The latter materials are particluarly thus capable of use where a hard material or reinforcing layer, as of steel or the like, is employed. Instead of having the reinforcing layer on one face, it may be sandwiched between as a center layer Fig. 8, with a facing, llayer 2| on each side, again, the materials of the reinforcing" and the facing being as described foregoing. The layers are bonded together firmly to form substantially integral bearing strips.

' I Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the feabore 90. As readily understood, for insertion or change of bearing strips in this form of construc- 1 tion, with th screw l6 out the bearing strip 80 i may be slid into position between the center block Be and the jaw 10, and the retaining screw I 3 may then be set down into place, the bearing strip then riding loosely on the smooth end of the screw for such movement as afore-described. For the flow of lubricant from the lubricant chamber, orifices y may be provided, and aligned smaller openings in the strips. Felt or Wicking may be placed in the openings y and be retained by the shoulder formed by the smaller hole in the strip.

In all its forms, the screw extending into the hole in the bearing strip constitutes a stud 'holding the strip from undesired movement in its own plane but allowing slight movement otherwise, and particularly simplifying assembly.

In the construction of the bearing strips, I prefer to use powdered metal, such as bronze, or other bearing alloys, the powdered metal being compressed or molded into desired form. A poit. And the facing layer 2| may be of powdered metal, porous bronze, or other bearing metal, or in some cases where desired it may be of organic tures stated'an'y of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

In a shaft coupling, coupling members having inter-meshing jaws with a central space within, a center block in such space free of anchorage to the-shaft and having peripheral faces in planes parallel to the shaft axis, a flat bearing strip slidable endwise into and out of position between each peripheral face of the block and the adjacent jawface while the block and jaws are as- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,612,399 I Thomas Dec. 28, 1926 2,075,481 Thomas Mar. 30, 1937 2,110,844 Shenk Mar. 8, 1938 2,131,414 Westburgh Sept. 27, 1938 

